Safety fears cancel Gloucestershire cheese rolling
Safety concerns over the number of spectators have caused an historic cheese-rolling event to be postponed


The annual cheese-rolling event in Gloucestershire has been postponed because of fears that the number of spectators it attracts could become a safety concern.
Organisers of the traditional event, held at Cooper's Hill near Brockworth, said that the 15,000 spectators in 2009 exceeded the site's capacity by three times.
Richard Jefferies, one of the organisers, said: ‘A few years ago, we only had several hundred people. Last year, the police estimate was 15,000, and they reckon it'll be even more this year, as it's got so well known internationally.'
The event has public-liability insurance cover for 5,000 people, and the insurance company would need to be informed if that number is exceeded.
In addition, the roads were too congested for emergency-service vehicles to get to the site in the event of an accident.
Mr Jefferies said that organisers also needed to respect the concerns of local people, who had had damaged property by people climbing over fences.
The competition dates back hundreds of years, involving participants chasing 7lb Double Gloucester cheeses down a hill in a series of races.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Diana Smart, 83, who makes the cheeses on her farm at Birdwood in the Forest of Dean, commented: ‘I'm shaking at the prospect of not having any cheese-rolling.
‘It's one of our biggest fundraisers for the business, particularly this year, when we're desperately trying to increase our premises.'
Inspector Stephen Norris of Gloucestershire Constabulary said: ‘A vote was held by the Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling Committee on whether the 2010 event should go ahead. Their decision was to postpone it.
‘We'll continue to advise and work with the organisers to examine what changes can be made for the event to go ahead in 2011.'
Mark Hawthorne, Gloucestershire County Councillor, added: ‘Cheese-rolling has been going on for hundreds of years, and we must ensure that this great tradition continues.'
To comment on this article, use the comment box below, or email us at clonews@ipcmedia.com. Read more about the countryside
For more news stories like this every week subscribe and save
Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
-
Can't you hear me S.O.S? Our treasured native dog breeds are at risk of extinction
Do you know your Kerry blue terrier from your Lancashire heeler? A simple lack of publicity is often to blame for some of the UK's native dog breeds flying dangerously low under-the-radar.
By Victoria Marston Published
-
'There are architects and architects, but only one ARCHITECT': Sir Edwin Lutyens and the wartime Chancellor who helped launch his stellar career
Clive Aslet explores the relationship between Sir Edwin Lutyens and perhaps his most important private client, the politician and financier Reginald McKenna.
By Clive Aslet Published